Parent Night used to be a carefree time for students. They left the school an hour earlier, and sat at home worry free while their parents chatted with teachers at parent night. Afterwards students and their parents would joke about how lame trigonometry is and how boring science teachers are. Not anymore. An increasing trend of worried students has changed the face of parent night. These students, mostly AP overachievers and freshman, worry that parent night is yet another opportunity to suck up to teachers and make a good impression, and are stepping up their game.
Students are now practicing subject verb agreement and reviewing the unit circle with their parents in hopes of impressing their teachers. “If my dad can’t thoroughly explain and analyze the plot of Beloved to an English teacher, she’s never going to write my letter of recommendation,” commented one anxious AP Junior English student. “I’m going to make sure my Dad brings in a kleenex box to math,” another extra credit hungry sophomore added. While some find the trend unnecessary and a little disturbing, everyone seems to be joining in. As one mom who had spent the entire day picking out a matching outfit for parent night noted “I used to laugh at how boring my children’s teachers were. Now I make sure to laugh louder than all the other parents in the room when my children’s teacher makes a joke.”

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